In Illinois, driving without insurance can be considered a petty offense or a class A misdemeanor depending on the situation. While first-time offenders may receive a traffic citation and a fine, repeat offenses or causing an accident or bodily injury to another person can result in more substantial penalties, such as a license suspension and $2,500 in fines. Another side-effect of driving uninsured is how it can negatively impact your future car insurance premiums. Bankrate’s insurance editorial team has compiled some information that Illinois drivers need to know about driving without insurance—or sharing the road with uninsured drivers.

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Minimum insurance required in Illinois

The minimum coverage requirements for your vehicle to be street-legal differ in each state. Drivers in The Prairie State must have at least the following limits for bodily injury, property damage and uninsured motorist coverage:

  • $25,000 of bodily injury liability coverage per person
  • $50,000 of bodily injury liability coverage per accident
  • $20,000 of property damage liability coverage
  • $25,000 of uninsured motorist bodily injury liability coverage per person
  • $50,000 of uninsured motorist bodily injury liability coverage per accident

You may see the bodily injury and property damage limits written as 25/50/20 and the uninsured motorist coverage limits written as 25/50 in your insurance policy documents. While this is the minimum coverage needed to drive, many insurance professionals recommend carrying higher liability limits if feasible. Inflation has impacted everything from the price of cars to the cost of medical care — meaning the minimum coverage might not be enough in the event of a multi-car accident.

Penalties for driving without insurance in Illinois

Beginning in 2020, the Secretary of State will begin an Electronic Liability Insurance Verification program for vehicles registered in Illinois. All car insurance providers authorized to conduct business in the state are linked electronically to this system. Per Illinois state Mandatory Insurance Law 625 ILCS 5/3-707, all vehicles with valid registration must carry the required insurance coverage to avoid the following possible penalties:

Paying a fine

The first offense of driving without insurance in Illinois is considered a petty offense, and drivers may be fined at least $500 but no more than $1,000. For a driver convicted of uninsured driving three times or more, the fine may increase to $1000. However, uninsured Illinois drivers who cause an accident with bodily injury damages have committed a class A misdemeanor and could receive fines up to $2,500 plus additional fees and possible imprisonment. In most cases, drivers who can prove they had an active insurance policy when issued a ticket for driving with no insurance will not have to pay a fine, while drivers who are able to acquire an insurance policy in time for court might have their fine reduced to $100.

License suspension

Your license can be suspended for up to three months if you are a first-time offender and up to an additional six months or more if you are a repeat offender or are caught driving during the suspension period. The typical license reinstatement fee in Illinois is $100.

Vehicle impound

According to amended state law 625 ILCS 5/4-203, if you get caught driving without insurance in Illinois, the police are legally allowed to tow and impound your vehicle, and the fines will vary to get it back.

Higher insurance premiums

If you get caught driving with no insurance coverage, then you will likely be immediately seen as a high-risk driver by insurance companies. When you search for insurance in Illinois, you will probably face the consequence of having to pay a higher premium, which can get expensive.

SR-22 requirement

If you are caught driving without insurance multiple times and receive court supervision, you will eventually be required to get an SR-22 insurance certificate for at least three years, possibly more. SR-22 is a special insurance certificate reported to the state every month to verify that you carry the minimum amount of insurance mandated by Illinois. If you do not keep up with the SR-22 requirements, the state can suspend your license.

Getting into an accident without insurance

If you are an Illinois driver involved in an accident and are uninsured, you could face several penalties, including an additional fine and suspension of your driver’s license. In Illinois, what happens to an uninsured driver who gets into an accident is based on who was at fault for the accident.

If you were not at fault, you could file a third-party claim through the at-fault driver’s insurance for any bodily injuries or property damage. However, if you were at fault for the accident, the other driver’s uninsured motorist coverage will have to cover you. While it could take several months for the claim to go through, once it does, the driver’s insurance company is likely to attempt to collect the losses by filing a lawsuit against you.

Getting into an accident with an uninsured driver

Drivers looking to mitigate their financial loss from potentially being hit by an uninsured driver may want to ask their agent about increasing their uninsured motorist coverage. This coverage can provide payments toward costs related to medical bills for you and your passengers if hit by an uninsured driver. Uninsured motorist coverage is required for Illinois car insurance, but policyholders can purchase higher limits.

Another option is medical payments coverage. This optional coverage also helps with the medical costs associated with an accident. However, you and your passengers can use medical payments coverage regardless of who is at fault for the accident.

Frequently asked questions

    • If you are caught driving without insurance, you may face several penalties. However, providing false insurance information could result in even more serious fines and jail time. The fine can be as much as $2,000 and up to six months in jail.
    • The average cost of car insurance in Illinois is $1,806 per year for full coverage and $552 for minimum coverage. Car insurance in Illinois is typically slightly cheaper than the national average, which is $2,014 per year for full coverage and $622 for minimum coverage. Your actual car insurance rates may vary and will be based on several factors, such as driving record, age and your credit-based insurance score.
    • It is unlikely you will go to jail solely for driving without insurance. For a first offense, you will be fined up to $1,000. If you drive without insurance and are caught again, you can pay another fine and then have your license suspended for several months. However, jail time is possible if you cause bodily injury to another person while driving uninsured and you have repeated uninsured infractions on your record.
    • Auto insurance discounts are available with almost every car insurance company in Illinois. Depending on your provider and eligibility, you may have access to discounts for things like driver training classes, automatic bill payments, vehicle safety features and more. Check with your agent for availability.